How can I tell if I need more power?

1.mids are "far away from you" in the soundstage
2.the sound of drum doesn't stop on time
3.bass responce is "trailing behind"

4.heavy speaker load for amplifier may cause it to oscilate

always remember that it is easier to blow drivers with the lower power amp than with higher.

Vandees will rock and sing with Pass X250 or VTL Mb125 monos will do approximately the same as Pass or even better.

With tubes in fact you can go bellow lowest power requirement upto 60W/ch.

1st thing you might do is finding someone who will loan you an amp with lets say double the power you currently have. 1st thing you will probably notice is bass, you will have more. 2nd will be detail, you should be hearing instruments and little things in the music you never noticed before. 3rd will be more sound stage, a depth to the instruments that was not there. These things should occur at virtually any volume. At volume you will hear more impact, quickness if you would,, and just a general opening up to the music.
You have a great pair of loudspeakers there that can give you a whole lot more than what you are currently getting, and I bet you think it ain't bad now. If I am close enough(Nashville) feel free to give me a call, I have a # of amps that I would loan you for a day or two.

Great offer Jvia, & good for you! Dwpc: rule of the thumb, you should try around 100 good ss watts, some 60+ tube -- just to get an *idea* of what your speaker can do for you.

Connect with Jvia, I say (I live half-way round the globe) !

Jvia, thanks for the offer...but I'm in CA.

Dwpc, please don't take this the wrong way. With that in mind, here goes:

Your current system is equivalent to owning a high performance muscle or sports car and filling up with watered down 87 octane from "Joe's Gas & Go". While it will get you from Point A to Point B, you're not getting ANYWHERE near the performance, benefits or fun of what you paid your money for. As such, your Vandie's are SCREAMING for a chance to to be taken out on the open road and strut their stuff. I'm not just talking about in terms of sheer "output" but also of the finesse and detail that they are capable of.

I would HIGHLY suggest looking into a higher quality amplifier section (as a start). While more power would probably be beneficial, i would first worry about "quality" and then look at the "numbers". Low powered high quality amps will ALWAYS sound more powerful than what they are spec'd at. As a case in point, look at how many "little" Pass amps rated at 30 wpc are floating around in relatively "high dollar" systems. Low power doesn't necessarily mean lack of bass output or low frequency control, clipping, etc... IF the amp and power supply are well designed and the speakers / type of music aren't overly demanding. As such, I would rather have 50 "good" Class A "hi-fi" watts of power per channel than 200 watts of "generic" Class AB "mid-fi" at the same appr price.

Keep in mind that you're working with a music SYSTEM. Your choices should blend together sonically, not just look good on paper. Hope this helps and gives you something to think about... Sean
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